George Dohrmann wrote the just released Sports Illustrated piece on Jim Tressel, and Dohrmann has been doing a series of radio interviews today. I’ve now listened to three of them, and among the highlights:
- Dohrmann claims the numbers of players that he wrote committed NCAA violations (28 since 2002, including 15 current players) are conservative.
- He says the article was very thoroughly vetted by the magazine’s lawyers.
- Admitting his sources have colorful backgrounds, he says he had to go with these sources because OSU’s players “weren’t hanging out with priests and nuns.”
- Dohrmann has a unique theory on why Tressel kept quiet about the NCAA violations, even after receiving an e-mailed tip. Although most people have said it was because Tressel didn’t want to jeopardize what promised to be a spectacular season, Dohrmann feels it may also have been that Tressel knew an investigation would open a bigger can of worms.
- He thinks Terrelle Pryor has played his last down for Ohio State.
- He believes that Pryor traded, “more than 20 items, including game-worn shoulder pads, multiple helmets, Nike cleats, jerseys, game pants and more” for tattoos or cash. This, Dohrmann argues, should prove OSU was aware (or should have been aware) of what was going on. How could they not notice how much equipment was going missing?
- Dohrmann says he contacted Ohio State Friday to give them a chance to respond to the allegations in the SI story, and they stonewalled him. He said the university would not even confirm or deny if they relayed the information to coach Tressel.
- He believes the NCAA will “hammer” the Buckeyes. Quoting Dohrmann, “If this isn’t institutional control, I don’t know what is.”
- When asked if he’s done investigating Ohio State, Dohrmann responded, “I wouldn’t say that, no.”
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